FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City — The Philippine Military Academy on Sunday honored 22 of its alumni and partner stakeholders, including business mogul Enrique Razon Jr., during its Grand Alumni Homecoming here.
A total of 1,696 PMA alumni returned to their alma mater, many accompanied by their families and relatives.
Cavalier Salvador Peran, 89, of PMA Class 1964 was the oldest alumni in attendance, while the youngest was Cavalier 2Lt. Maecy Bautista, 22, of Class 2023.
Five retired military officials were awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their more than 50 years of dedicated and unblemished service to the country.
The five were P/Maj. Gen. Thompson Lantion of Class ’69; National Intelligence Coordinating Agency director and P/Lt. Gen. Ricardo de Leon of Class ’71; P/Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Velasco of Class ’71; Col. Alejandro Flores Jr. of Class ’72; and Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. of Class ’74.
Two awardees received the Pandemic Heroes Award — Razon, head of International Container Terminal Services Inc. and honorary member of PMA Class of 1988; and retired Lt. Gen. Raul del Rosario — in recognition of their efforts to fight and end the Covid-19 pandemic.
Del Rosario of Class ’84 headed the One Stop Shop Management of returning overseas Filipinos. On the other hand, Razon initiated the procurement and facilitated the roll-out of vaccines, while building testing, isolation, quarantine and vaccination facilities.
Fifteen alumni were given the Cavalier Award — the highest recognition from the PMA Alumni Association, Inc. for those who displayed remarkable achievements and performance in their fields during the last five years.
The Cavalier Awardees were Capt. Roberto Yap of Class ’82 (private enterprise); Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo of Class ’90 (special field, retired officer category); Maj. Gen. Arturo Rojas of Class ’90 (command and administration); Maj. Gen. Eric Noble of Class ’92 (staff function), P/Brig. Gen. Westrimundo Obinque of Class ’92 (police operations); Iloilo Rep. Raul Tupas (Ret.) of Class ’94 (public administration); Col. Ferdinand Marcelino of Class ’94 (special operations); Col. Joey Fontiveros of Class ’94 (special field, active officer category); Col. Von Albert Sumergido of Class ’95 (army operations, senior officer category); Coast Guard Commodore Allen Dalangin of Class ’95 (coast guard operations, senior officer category); Col. Lee Sarpamones of Class ’99 (air operations, senior officer category); Coast Guard Capt. Larry Cendaña of Class ’03 (Coast Guard operations, junior officer category); Maj. Ernest Dela Cuadra of Class ’07 (air operations, junior officer category); Capt. Mark Erick Garcia of Class ’12 (naval operations, junior officer category); and 1Lt. Cielo Rose Dolorican of Class ’18 (army operations, junior officer category).
Lt. Gen. Rhowen Tolentino, PMA Superintendent said the occasion allowed them to reunite with their ‘mistah,’ upperclassmen, and underclass.
He said they shared “memories, whether good or bad, and sometimes unthinkable experiences that others try to forget. But what happens is that very unthinkable experiences would be the first and last stories to be told once the conversation starts.”
“We laughed, we cried but at the end of the day, we realize that those experiences we shared made us tough, gave us wisdom and important lessons to overcome the difficult path we have chosen to follow,” he added.
Cavalier Danilo Abinoja of Class ’74 was elected chairman and CEO of the alumni association.
“When confronted with big waves, we do not face it head-on, but rather, we simply ride the waves. When confronted with strong winds, it is wiser to use them by adjusting your sail or changing your course. And when confronted by challenging storms, it is best to avoid it and simply move to safer waters,” Abinoja said in his speech.
The alumni association also honored the Jubilarian class of PMA Batch 1964, the golden class of Batch 1974, the silver class of Batch 1999, and the senior host class of Batch 1994.
The PMA chief challenged the present cadets of the academy to “work harder to be part of the long grey line of this institution.”
“Let this event be your source of inspiration and encourage you to go beyond what is expected of you as future leaders,” Tolentino said.